SCORE chairman puts his advice to the test at his own business

BY MARIAN RIZZOSpecial to Ocala Business Journal

Thursday

Jun 24, 2010 at 4:54 PMJun 24, 2010 at 5:05 PM

When it comes to following a business dream, R. Ronald Corbett said people should feel like a dog does when he's chasing a bicycle."When you're in business, you have to enjoy the thrill of the chase," said Corbett. "The dog doesn't want the bicycle. He wants the chase."The owner of Yes Solutions Gallery, an ink cartridge recycling store in Six Gun Plaza, Corbett has a long history of chasing business dreams. With a master's degree in business administration and a Ph. D in business management, Corbett spent more than 40 years working and teaching business classes in Latin American countries, primarily in Panama. About 10 years ago, he continued to pursue his dream, this time to Ocala where, in 2007, he opened Yes Solutions with Richard Greenberg."When I came here to Ocala and got bored doing nothing, I decided I wanted to open up a business, so I researched what business does not exist in Ocala," he said.In his research, Corbett uncovered several options, but the business that stood out for him was recycling ink and toner cartridges. In addition to being ecologically favorable -- earning the store green business certification -- such a project also has proven lucrative to people who use office machines."We can save people a lot of money by doing this," said Corbett.Aware that several companies had tried it and failed, Corbett acknowledged there is a right way and a wrong way to restore cartridges."It isn't as easy as it sounds," he said. "You don't just drill a hole in a cartridge and fill it. You remanufacture it, so when somebody puts it in their machine, it doesn't leak. It works."Early in 2009, Corbett also decided to provide office space in his store for volunteers with SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business, so they could help other people with their business plans. Previously housed in the former Ocala Chamber building, SCORE offers free counseling services to people who are starting out in business or wanting to make some changes in an existing company. The volunteers are retired and working professionals who bring with them years of business savvy. Corbett, who is chairman of the SCORE offices in Ocala and The Villages, has been a SCORE volunteer for years, and he even utilized the service while setting up his own business. "I'm not going to let all this knowledge go by without asking a question," he said.Corbett, who will turn 72 in August, developed some ideas of his own over the years. To him, the words "customer service" do not merely refer to a department."It's an attitude," he said. "A department is, you call this number and blah, blah, blah. An attitude is, the very first person you're talking to will attend to whatever your problem is and walk you to the product. A small business can do it, the big box store cannot do it. It's personal. That's why people go to the small business. I don't care if you're selling ink and toner cartridges, like I'm doing here, or if you're selling hamburgers. It's a personal touch."If not for Corbett's guidance, Liz and Ray Masi might have opened the wrong business. They each had managed restaurants for other people for 25 years and, after moving to Ocala, decided to open an eatery of their own. Corbett talked them out of it.Now the co-owners of Foot Solutions, a one-stop foot-care store on State Road 200, the Masis feel they have found a niche that had not been filled in this area.Following Corbett's advice, Ray took classes and became a licensed pedorphist. Liz said the store is doing well, thanks to Corbett."He's our hero," said Liz Masi. "He's an awesome guy. We wouldn't be here if not for his help. We've been here a little more than three years. We had no intention of doing anything with shoes or feet. It's a far cry from the restaurant business, but we're glad we did it. We're able to help people and that makes us feel better."Corbett, and his wife, Sydney, a professor of English at the College of Central Florida, recently returned from a vacation in Scotland. Corbett said he's not about to slow down, despite the fact that he was diagnosed with a brain tumor several years ago and was paralyzed following his first operation in 1996. "I said, 'No way am I going to be paralyzed,' " said Corbett. "They said I can walk around with a walker, and I said, 'No way am I going to do that either.' They were feeding me with a stomach tube, and I said, 'No way will I do that either.' I don't think a brain tumor is a big problem. And, I'm very lucky. I can prove I have a brain. I have medical records to show it. A lot of people don't have that."Corbett said he plans to open a number of Yes Solutions stores in the state of Florida and then go to other states and beyond."I might even go international after I go national," he said.His philosophy in business?"Don't let a little bit of a problem stop you from following your dream," said Corbett. "I don't care whether you help people start a business or if you have a business and give people a job. My experience is that it can be done. Whatever it is that you're trying to do, it can be done. "We have a warped sense of humor in here. We think starting a business is fun."

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